Two-Fifty
by Gryphons Kiss
Summary: A one-night stand changes Reno's outlook on love and life...
1. Two-Fifty

Tamed, what was once heartless...

Two-Fifty

_"All happenings are in the mind"-Orwell, 1984_

A fiery-haired young man had just gotten a raise and he decided to use it on something posh for once.   
Reno stepped into the entryway of the high-class bar. The upper and lower plates were certainly as different as night and day, and the day on the upper plate was so bright that it must've been heaven. It highly contrasted to the slum's pubs. Instead of the usual smell of stale tabacco and whiskey, a light, floral and fruit scent danced on the airwaves. The usually dim light was replaced with a fluorescent brightness. And instead of drunks and whores, there were rich businessmen and women. Marble and leather everywhere. Reno could've died a happy man in that doorway.   
With Turk uniform neatly pressed, he scanned for a table. For a Saturday night, the place was practically empty.   
A well-dressed waiter came over to Reno and offered to seat him, which was graciously accepted. Reno sat at a high marble table in the middle of the room, near the wall, and scanned the room briefly, not taking notice to anything or anyone. He muttered an order of gin to the waiter and sat in solitude.   
What an uncomfortable place, he thought. He almost prayed for the comforting sounds and smells of the under-plate bars. At least there he was relaxed, and not afraid of making a wrong move- not that he ever did.   
The gin arrived after ten, fifteen minutes; it didn't matter, time wasn't really a concept to him at that point. He lifted the shot glass to his face. It had a tangy-sweet smell. He downed it quickly, expecting the usual burning sensation to sting his cheeks. But surprisingly, the gin actually tasted *pleasant*, like a bittersweet lime instead of sour apples. He ordered another shot.   
After a couple more of those, he decided to scan the room again. Immediately upon looking up, he saw what he imagined was the most beautiful girl on earth. She wore a skirt shorter than any prostitute dared to show off, and a V-cut strapless top that conveniently showed off her perfect cleavage. Even her legs and curves emitted class. Her shiny straight black hair only added to the beauty. But Reno couldn't see her eyes because of her posture- one leg was crossed over the other, and her midsection was turned around. He continued to stare at her form until his breath had ceased. Reminding himself to breathe, he continued to fix his gaze on her.   
He jumped when she turned around. Her back had straightened, but she kept her eyes averted to the table. They were in clear view now- beautiful, deep sapphire eyes, sparkling like they had a light shining through them.   
She looked up, and automatically he froze.   
_Oh man, what a looker! Hell, what am I getting so worked up for? Damn she's gorgeous. I just gotta keep myself composed. Fuck, what's going on here…?_   
She was staring right at him as he was doing to her. As quickly as it had started, he looked away. A warm shadow fell over him seconds later. Reno figured it was some power-hungry broad looking for a good time, so he dared not look up. And yet a feeling overpowered his senses and his head was involuntarily forced upward.   
There she was in all of her glory. His body froze under her gaze, and he was put into a painfully sweet trance.   
"Hi," she murmured, and he practically melted.   
_ Damn, she definitely has ways_, his conscience told him. _But it's so hard not to look her up and down and up and down and…oooooooooooooooooh yeah…_   
She sat across from him. "Forgive my forwardness, but I couldn't help wanting to strike up a conversation with you." She leaned forward a little more.   
_C'mon, Reno, pull it together! Don't let this temptress entrance you. You're more charming, so exert some of it_. He straightened up and gave her an equally charming smile. _It's hard being such a lady-killer_. "I don't mind at all. I'm-"   
She put a finger to his lips, and he almost lost the ounce of composure he tried so hard to obtain. "I know who you are," she drawled. "Your uniform tells me more than I need to know." She leaned back again.   
He quickly glanced over his dark blue suit, the uniform and pride of the Turks. It was slightly disheveled, as the carefree man always wore it, but it looked good on him, it fit just like his personality.   
"I'm Miranda, but you can call me Mandy for short." She gently took his hand and clasped it. He smiled uncertainly at her and let go after a moment. She sensed his discomfort and gave way to a small laugh, light and yet rich. "You need to learn how to relax, Reno."   
A pleasurable shiver ran through his body when she said his name. But he just couldn't make his muscles to relax, her very presence intimidated him.   
She smiled as he seemed to ease back, knowing that her handiwork didn't go unrewarded.   
"Can I buy you a drink?" he offered. His voice was obviously shaky.   
Mandy decided that she needed to get him to relax somehow. "How 'bout we get out of here? This place is so stuffy it's making my head hurt."   
Reno looked around. The place was empty save the two executives that sat at the actual bar. "But there's nobody here…"   
She laughed again and he was completely devastated. His defenses were faltering at an alarmingly irregular rate, and he felt ready to bolt out the door and collapse somewhere far away from her tantalizing form. But something stopped him from actually doing that- perhaps his knowledge of his own striking looks and equally savvy personality.   
"She gave him a solid look into his eyes and smiled deviously. "Come on! I know a great place in Sector five where you can get gin shots for $2.50." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.   
Walking felt like flying outside. The air was warm and breezy. The sky could actually be seen from the top plate. The night was lit with numerous stars and a full moon, illuminating the otherwise dark streets in a pale wash. It was simply amazing against the cold metallic glare of the city.   
More laughs rang out from the pair as Mandy pulled her new love along the streets, running as best she could in heels. Reno strode alongside her, smiling slightly at her form moving with the silent melody of the night.   
He let go of her hand and stopped in his tracks. She did the same and turned to him. "What, why did you stop?"   
He smiled again and shrugged.   
She was taken away. He knew when her lips parted and she stood staring at him like he was the center of the universe. And honestly, he thrived off the attention, especially since it was coming from her. Her playful smile returned after a minute as she trotted back toward him. She grabbed his hand from his pocket and smiled once more before dragging him along.   
Before long they had reached the upper-plate station and boarded a train that spiraled down the center pillar and to the bottom of Midgar.   


Once in the depths of the city, they found the cheap local aforementioned bar and found a table amidst a cloud of smoke and noise.   
"So what do you feel like?" he shouted to her.   
"What?"   
He leaned in closer, his face almost touching hers. "What can I get you?"   
"It's on me!"   
"No, I insist!"   
"Fine, I'll have a gin shot. Nice and cheap." She winked and leaned back. The noise had partially subsided and they could carry on a halfway normal conversation at that point.   
When the drinks had arrived, they fell into an awkward silence. It was strange the way he shifted unnaturally in her presence.   
"What's the matter, you allergic to alcohol?" she asked, observing his strange demeanor.   
"God no, then I'd have to kill myself!"   
They both laughed; his deep, rich tone, and her light, crystal one.   
"You wanna…go somewhere?" she proposed.   
He nodded. "Where should we go?"   
"My place, it's on a quiet piece of the upper plate."   
He swallowed hard and, without a word, they traveled back to the upper plate.   


It was a classy place for a classy lady. Mandy's penthouse was posh and so tasteful. Despite it's rather small size, he felt at ease, except for the fact that he was in her room and she was getting changed as he sat on the bed, anticipating the near future's events.   
"So, what have you been up to lately?" she asked casually.   
His heart turned cold, realizing that, as a Turk, he could show no emotion and give nothing way about the elusive- and twisted- work he was involved in.   
But when she came out wearing a lacy black slipdress (quite revealing), he felt his stony exterior break and he melted under her touch. She gave a small laugh- not nervous or apprehensive, just…teasing- and sat down next to him.   
She leaned forward gently and kissed him. It was like fire shot through his veins and her soothing touch was needed further. He deepened the kiss, longing for more, wanting it like a flowery drug.   
"Reno…" she murmured, and the pleasurable shiver ran through his body once more.   
Low moans escaped his own throat, and after only minutes did he move and slip a strap enticingly off her shoulder.   
In turn, she tugged on his jacket as he sucked on her throat. Everything was a whirl of passion as it intensified, up until Reno's last breaking moment.   
The tension was released after countless hours inside of her as he slid once more under her embrace and fell into a dreamy deep sleep.   


When he awoke hours later, the river of sunlight was already gushing in. It was intense- sort of like a mirror to the night before. He was afraid to move, as if the image would shatter and he would drown in his own world of darkness. That sunlight was the only hope he had at that moment.   
Moving ever so slightly, he opened one eye and then other.   
Mandy was nowhere to be seen.   
Her clothes had been picked up from the night before, but his were still scattered around the floor, untouched.   
_Aw man, wonder if she took my wallet_. So much for the dream. He pulled his boxers back on and searched through his pockets. His wallet, watch, credit cards and cash were still there, untouched.   
_ Wow, that's a bit of luck for me_.   
He went in search for her after sloppily pulling the rest of his clothes on. She wasn't in the shower, she wasn't in the kitchen. The apartment was too small for her to be any other logical place. Defeatedly, he sat back down on the bed and held his head in his hands.   
_ Gone…wonder where she went. My head doesn't hurt…didn't get drunk last night. Not on alcohol anyways._   
He looked at his reflection in the mirror. Oddly enough, the lazy grin was on his face and he seemed to glow like he hadn't in a long while.   
_What has this girl done to me? Was it all just some heart-filled dream?_   
That's when he noticed the small slip of paper. A note that had been spritzed with her sexy perfume.   


Reno,   
Thanks for a perfect night. Don't forget I owe you $2.50.   
Love,   
Mandy _ Aw man! _His mind screamed. _Figures she has to be devastatingly beautiful *and* break my heart._   
He stood and walked out of her apartment, thoughts running. Simple drifts of memory from the night before were enough to make him beam inside and out. _Still, that was pretty hot. I don't think anything like *her* will ever come my way again. And now it's back to work in the black hell that is Shin'ra_. He sighed as he walked back along the bitterly cold streets. The warm air from the night before had rapidly disappeared mysteriously. Only one thought remained in Reno's clouded-pink memory.   


__

I will never love again…   
  
  



	2. My World

My World - Songfic

MY WORLD

  
  
Reno woke up in a cold sweat. He couldn't remember the twisted nightmare he had just been through - he was blind to every nightmare except the one he lived in. He felt empty inside.   
__Welcome to my world   
__Where you grasp the ends but they manage to slip   
Whatever trecherous feeling led him to Shin'ra had now decieved him into a wretched Hell. he used to think that it would bring him a full life - money, women, power. But now the question was not what will I get, because the answer to that was lies and guilt. The question, rather, was - how many people did I kill today?   
__Welcome to my world   
__Where it's all a lie and the cuts won't die,   
__Just bleed and gnaw and rip   
The numbers were endless. He wanted it to stop so badly, but life just pushed him forward. But there was no light at the end of his dark, dreary tunnel.   
__Forward I tumble but no light is here   
He was on an end already, and he was only in his mid-twenties. Was it natural for all emotion to be killed at this point in the game? he couldn't gain any insight.   
__Is it a tunnel?   
__No it's a ledge.   
__My lack of emotion   
__Has me on edge   
He was so helpless that he sometimes wondered just what it would take to end the dull ache that constantly reminded him what kind of monster hid under the layers of charm and confidence.   
__Would it be so bad   
__To shed what I thought I had?   
Would it be courage or cowardess to take his own life? He played with the idea constantly - better he take his own life than have Shin'ra do it for him. If he was going to escape, it had to be on his own terms - no matter how fleeting they were.   
__Would it be brave to plunge and fall?   
__Or instead be pushed by the ones of it all?   
__I wonder, and so I pray,   
__On this dark night, take me away   
Either way he couldn't stand it. The constant torture of his life, with no emotional outlet because it wasn't allowed.   
_Dammit!_ he cursed silently. _I'm forced into this by everyone around me..._   
__Show me what it means to love   
__And I can show you hate   
__Try the freedom from the torture   
__And I can shake the gate   
He poured a glass of straight scotch. He couldn't even taste it anymore - what he was tasting was his own life energy - bitter, disgusting, yet needed to survive. He was so dependent on his lifestyle, yet abhored it so much. And that was what he regretted. His body went numb at the thought.   
__Welcome to this land   
__Where you are filled with something gone   
At the last drop of alcohol, he let it slide out of the glass like the tear on his cheek. His hands shook and squeezed at the glass so hard that he made it shatter. And then it all washed away as his body and heart turned back to stone - back to Reno the Turk.   
__Welcome to this land   
__Where tears and fears are all a ruse   
__And you cry and struggle against the abuse   
Any falters in that image were strictly confidential. Nobody even knew about the missing love that ate away at his heart.   
__So then I stop   
__And look around   
Mandy had broken down a man and put him back together in the precious (and short) hours that they had spent together. She wasn't just a one-night stand - she was a miracle worker. It had been fate that she came along, and he seriously doubted he could find it again...   
__They will not know   
__The love I killed   
__Wrecked after what   
__It took to build   
Because she already had a part of him.   
__A miracle  
A shred of an angel's wing   
Reno wondered in that dark, lonely night whether she had really mattered or not. At a different perspective, he just as easily could've picked up that glass shard out of contempt - hatred that he had been left and kept thirsty. He needed someone again to show him the other end of the spectrum - the side with red was already upon him. He scratched a bit at the surface of his wrist with that glass shard.   
__The shattered glass with which I cut   
__Glows red with Evil's eyes   
He snapped out of Misery's trance. He threw the glass down and kicked the other pieces furiously away. He beseeched himself not to inflict any more pain. The physical damage wouldn't lessen or numb the emotional wounds anyway. Instead, he breathed, deep and pained, trying to clear his confused and clouded mind. The ideals of hatred had been so deeply planted into his brain that he could've never imagined a thing like love. He wanted these lies to be vanquished from him, like a cleansing of some sort.   
__I reject and so I plead   
__Please uproot the poisoned seed   
Because everything he had done right was wrong. Everything he had done wrong was right. Was Shin'ra right or wrong? It was a lose-lose situation. He was trapped, yet pulling vainly on the lock that bound his chains.   
__Show me what it means to lvoe   
__And I can show you hate   
__Try the freedom from the torture   
__And I can shake the gate   
He had been cold and hot.   
Exposed and covered.   
Wronged and righted again.   
Everything had been taken from him. First by Shin'ra, then that woman.   
__I have been raped   
__Of everything I feel   
So raw was he that he didn't even feel like he had anything left.   
__Sometimes it doesn't even   
__Seem like it was real   
Now where was his loyalty to lie? With Shin'ra? Should he follow his heart? He didn't even have a heart. As a Turk, human nature had been taken away, replaced with bare animal instincts. He pushed it to the back corner of his heart. His deepest emotion was now a newfound one. One of lost strength and depleted pride. Deeper it burned inward this acid of shame.   
__It's a feeling hidden deep inside my realm   
He slid back into bed, wallowing in it. He didn't want anyone else to know of his tormet and sin.   
__I don't want it uncovered again   
The blood pounded in his head. Reno wished he could just go back to his childhood and innocence. Instead, his visions showed him something else...   
__To do so would be   
His bloody, Godforesaken future as head Turk.   
__To look into Hell   
New understanding instinctively told him that Mandy had been that safety, reverting back to purity of emotion. But it was only so brief that he could see what she had really been sent for - to show him the life he gave up for the Devil.   
__Show me, show me, what this is   
__Because it's so unclear   
__Now I know just what I've missed:   
__The safety from my fear.   
__~Owari~   
__


End file.
